"The Church's social teaching argues on the
basis of reason and natural law, namely, on the basis of what is in accord with
the nature of every human being. It recognizes that it is not the Church's
responsibility to make this teaching prevail in political life. Rather, the
Church wishes to help form consciences in political life and to stimulate
greater insight into the authentic requirements of justice as well as greater
readiness to act accordingly. "

(Pope Benedict XVI, God is Love, n. 28).

"What the Church has said is that
because it is the first gift from a loving God and the condition for all other
human goods, all our other rights - life itself has to be a top priority. It is
the most basic gift, and if we lose the right to live we lose everything else."

Richard Doerflinger, Deputy Director of the Secretariat for
Pro-Life Activities, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

"It has always been important that
Catholics be involved in political life. Our National motto is One Nation
under God. We must as a people, defend the basic moral principles. In the
Declaration of Independence we say these rights are life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness. We acknowledge that the right to life is a fundamental
right in our society. If we don't have life we don't have anything."

Archbishop John Foley, President of the Pontifical Council
for Social Communications, Vatican City

"

A Catholic politician or a Catholic voter
can not separate himself or herself from his or her moral responsibility. You
cannot choose when and where to be Catholic and that includes political life and
voter responsibility."

Cardinal Renato Martino, President of the Pontifical Council
for Justice and Peace, Vatican City

"Obviously, there are some evils which the
State must adjudicate. Which ones? Those which directly target the common good
of the common life of the society. And in such cases, the State must act. For
example, abortion and euthanasia. Here the contemporary vision is perverse. It
is the modern problem of legal positivism -- whatever the majority wants is
considered to be 'just'. This is a perversity! It is perverse because tomorrow
what the majority dictates will be opposed to the majority of today. Society's
job is to seek out unchanging values. Every [political] party must place itself
under those fundamental values, and the first among these is the intangible
worth of the human person."

Bishop Karl Romer, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for
the Family, Vatican City

"The Church must speak out in today's context on
fundamental rights, the right to justice, the right to peace, but above all and
in the first place, the right to life. If the Church did not speak, did not
proclaim the truth, it would be abandoning its duty; it would be unfaithful to
society, to the good of society. Therefore, its precise duty is the very liberty
to intervene with word, and also with example -- the example of promoting human
life, of intervening for the salvation of mankind."

Bishop Elio Sgreccia, Vice-President of the Pontifical Academy for Life,
Vatican City